Men's Basketball

Men's Basketball Falls To Western Connecticut, 88-70

NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's men's basketball team fell to visiting Western Connecticut State, 88-70, in the second game of a Little East Conference doubleheader at the Tripp Athletic Center Saturday.

The Corsairs grabbed an early 11-7 lead in the opening four minutes of play, behind six points from senior center Lance Greene (Dorchester, MA/Charlestown HS/UMass Lowell). A lay-up from senior forward Michael Kennedy (Newtown, CT/Newtown HS) tied the game at 11-11, and then consecutive layups from senior guard DaQuan Brooks (Atlanta, GA/Bristol Central) and junior guard Ryan Pelletier (Wolcott, CT/Wolcott HS) gave the Colonials a 15-11 lead. UMD regained the lead with a 6-0 surge, taking their largest lead, 21-15, with 11:23 to play in the first half. A 15-2 run by Western Connecticut over the next five minutes gave the Colonials a lead they never relinquished. The teams exchanged baskets down the stretch, en route to a 43-35 lead for Western Connecticut at the half.

The Colonials continued their offensive momentum in the second half, opening with a 14-6 run, featuring three-pointers by junior guard Michael Jensen (Gales Ferry, CT/Ledyard HS) and senior forward Gary Robinson (Torrington, CT/Hotchkiss HS), and then a three-pointer from Brooks with 12:46 to play gave the Colonials their biggest lead, 60-41. The Corsairs battled back over the next six minutes, outscoring Western Connecticut 20-11, cutting the deficit to 71-61 with 6:18 remaining. The Colonials closed the game on a 17-9 streak, powered by seven points from Brooks, to secure the 88-70 victory.

"We just didn't play well tonight," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Brian Baptiste. "We've got to put it behind us and move on from here. We have an important game with RIC on Tuesday."

UMass Dartmouth had five players reach double figures in points during the contest. Greene had a team-high 20 points, shooting 8-of-12 from the field, with a game-high nine rebounds. Senior center Justin Pulver (Plymouth, MA/Falmouth HS/Johnson & Wales) scored 12 points with 8 rebounds. Junior guard John Genkos (Worcester, MA/Doherty HS) added 10 points, while senior guards Colin Burns (Chepachet, RI/Ponaganset HS/CCRI) and Paul Rose (Boston, MA/No. Cambridge Catholic HS/Mass Bay CC) each had 11 points. Brooks led the way for the Colonials with a game-high 22 points, connecting on 4-of-7 three-pointers, with seven assists. Kennedy tallied 18 points, Jensen had 15 points, and Robinson notched 14 points in the victory. The Corsairs shot 47.5% (28-of-59) from the field, while Western Connecticut was 47.4% (27-of-57) from the floor. The Colonials out rebounded the Corsairs, 35-32, and forced 17 turnovers.

The Corsairs dropped to 10-11 and 4-6 in the Little East Conference with the victory, while the Colonials improved to 17-4 and 7-3 in LEC play with the win. UMass Dartmouth will return to action when they host Rhode Island College in the second game of a Little East Conference doubleheader Tuesday evening. Western Connecticut will host Eastern Connecticut Tuesday.